Direct admissions programs aim to reduce barriers to college by proactively informing students about colleges where they have an opportunity for admission. These programs can take many forms, but typically involve states or colleges notifying students of their eligibility for admission through letters or emails. During the 2025–26 school year, Mathematica studied students’ experiences with three direct admissions programs: Georgia MATCH, Idaho Campus Choice, and Direct Admissions Minnesota.

This brief is the first in a three-part series sharing findings from Mathematica’s study, which supports Lumina Foundation’s Great Admissions Redesign. Drawing on experiences across the three states, this brief examines how different features of direct admissions programs can reduce barriers to college application. It explores college enrollment patterns before and after program implementation, finding larger enrollment increases in states whose programs addressed more application barriers. The second brief examines how direct admissions can shape the colleges that students consider and choose. The third examines the role communications and other supports play in helping students understand and act on direct admissions opportunities. The briefs draw on interviews, surveys, and focus groups with high school seniors in each state, interviews with school counselors and state administrators, and data from National Student Clearinghouse.